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[At nearly the same time as Angel says, "I'm not a bird", Aki tells Denji, ] He's not a bird.
[There's a brief pause as they recognize that they spoke at the same time, but Aki is the one who continues.] It's not interesting. It's things like... Weights, and milestones. You know... There's nothing like childhood in there, only infancy. You know that's different, don't you? You won't find it interesting.
I don't want to look at something boring like that. I'm thirsty. I want something to drink.
[Aki tells him to get something, himself, but Angel only sighs again, more dramatic, dropping his chin onto his knees.] I hope I die of thirst like this. I - [And Aki interrupts, "Alright, I get it, I get it - shut up, before I kick you out." Then points at Denji, saying, "Don't you dare open that up," as he leaves the door open to go to the kitchen.]
[There's a small beat of silence once he's gone. Angel won't stop Denji if he opens the drawer, but he speaks up either way.]
...Chainsaw-kun, you know he doesn't want you to see him like that, right?
Just staring at his back makes him want to kick it in, like a little act of violence might substitute for an act of god — because something of that magnitude's starting to feel like the only thing capable of actually getting the guy to lighten up. But before he can, Power's snapping Denji's backpack open, clawing through its entrails to pull out his math books (upside down) and yell sample problems (from a unit his class hasn't even touched yet) out at him. Denji complains in an instant, would run for it if his feet weren't still bandaged up from the night before, if his vision wouldn't blur when his heart throbs too hard, too quick, unable to keep up with the excitement. Unlike Aki, he can only take things easy. Unlike Aki, he can only laugh through life — and life out in the sticks? It ain't so bad.
They follow Aki all the way home like that.
The strap of Denji's backpack falls halfway down his arm as he slips his shoes off at the genkan, his mouth dropping at the sight before him. The devil is comfortably curled on one of the seat cushions. When he peeks down the hallway, there isn't a mess of woodchips sheeting the floor, either — maybe some scuffing and scratches from the devil-dog's failed attempts at unlocking the bathroom door, but otherwise, not much else. If anyone takes a look inside Meowy's litter box, there's a swirly turd, larger than the rest, but still coated in the sand. ]
Oh, shit! [ The expletive is said more in amazement than anything else. ] He really did come potty-trained! And he can open doors. That's awesome — dogs rule! [ Kneeling down — ] C'mere, boy!
[Aki's first though is how the hell did the devil get out of the bathroom?? Can it grow an arm or a hand or something? He looks in and sees the vague scratches on the wall, thinks about complaining about them and how Denji has to paint over them, but it's not like Meowy hasn't run her claws all over the baseboards. Speaking of...]
Where's Meowy? [But Power is coming in right after him and she trots out of the bedroom with no issue, immediately rubbing against her owner's leg and curling her tail up her shin. So the devil didn't eat her, and in fact...] ...It really didn't do anything.
[Huh.]
[He moves past Denji and into the living room, peering around as if he'll find some sort of proof that the devil made a mess, but all he can see are signs of things being slightly nudged askew, as likely a result of his sniffing as it would be Meowy climbing along the furniture. He continues looking around the room for a bit before checking the kitchen, looking for signs it ate any of their food. But everything looks secure.]
[...Huh.]
You're sure that's a devil? It isn't trying to destroy anything. [And isn't that their main objective in life, destruction of human property and life? He pulls open the fridge to cut up some fruit, Power already demanding sausage of which they have none.] If you have a contract with it, it should be able to do something for you. [Keeping Denji safe is too vague.]
Like what, he considers asking. Thinks about it. Thinks against it. Thinks about it again.
Ultimately, he lands on: ] Yeah, I guess.
[ Half because Denji can make his own guesses — it's not as if the books are stored away somewhere hard to reach and easy to collect dust; if it’s in his nightstand, then he figures he wants it close by for some reason — and half because he doesn't actually want to hear Angel spelling it out to him, the idea not unlike sandpaper graining his nerves. Maybe if it were someone else. Someone not wearing Aki's sweatshirt, not able to work him like a thread around his finger just to get him out of the room when he senses his discomfort.
Denji turns over to give his back to Angel, but then the movement buries his nose in Aki's pillow, and just as quickly as he’d done so, he pushes back — it smells like him, er, probably, not that he really pays attention to that sort of thing when they're shouting and wrestling over stuff like who broke the air flyer-fryer. He rolls onto his other side. Fishes the deck of cards from his pocket to lay it flat in the space between them. ]
Do you know how to shuffle?
[Then Denji asks if he knows how to shuffle. He shakes his head.]
I don't know how to play card games, anyway. I'll just watch.
[Truth is, he has no actual desire to play. It sounds boring. He doesn't want to waste time learning the rules for something that doesn't matter. He pulls his knees up and stares at the half-open door, beyond which he can hear the fridge opening and closing.]
...Do you think there was a time when Aki Hayakawa wasn't yet Aki Hayakawa? Or do you think he was destined to be this sort of human from the moment he was born?
Don't really think anything about that.
[ He shuffles the deck one more time before dealing out the hands for a game of tycoon, or blackjack, or something else that's simple for Denji to explain after this — or more likely, Aki will be explaining the rules to Angel. Because, like it or not, there are three piles of cards here. ]
Aki's Aki. The Aki who wet the bed or didn't eat all his broccoli is still, like, part of the Aki who is annoying as hell today. Once a crybaby, always a crybaby, y'know. Dunno about that destiny stuff, though…
[ In a way, he sorta believes in it. That some people are born to walk through life with adoring gazes glued to their backs, and some people just get by not being spared a glance at all. But sometimes he'll be see a flash of indecision in Aki's eyes, like he's torn between slamming Denji's forehead into the ground or explaining to him why stuff like unclogging the shower drain every so often matters. Does that count as freewill? ]
[ Canis lupis chainsawpus, or whatever. Using both hands, Denji holds the devil up to stare him straight into his glassy and barely blinking eyes. He's so cute. ]
What say you, lil' guy? You shoot beams or fire rockets on command or something?
[ In response, the dog only sticks out a slightly curled tongue and pants, his posture somewhat hunched in an appeasing manner, which doesn't really communicate anything meaningful at all, but to Denji, he gets the sense that maybe his devil companion is sheepishly telling him, No, that's not going to happen. ]
Can you do my homework, then? Take my test for me?
[ A short bark. ]
You hear that, Aki? [ He turns the devil so that its forced to look at Aki, even though it's visibly arching its neck to look at Denji instead. He moves his paw at him in an imitation of a wave. ] He said, "Hell yeah, I'm great at scientific notation!"
[His response, though, sounds more like what he'd expect Chainsaw to say. A matter-of-fact acceptance of the present situation.]
Mmm... So you think it's more in nature than nurture. That someone will always turn out to be a certain way, regardless of the effects of their surrounding environment.
[Aki steps back into the room, holding a glass of water with a plastic straw. He knew he had them somewhere - and he knows Angel prefers them so it will hopefully keep him from complaining about anything else or verbally wishing he was dead for a little bit. Angel accepts the drink and turns the question on Aki - ] Do you believe a human is determined more by nature or nurture?
[Aki only vaguely glances at him before flatly answering, "Nurture," and turning his attention to Denji to ask what game he's setting up. May as well.]
[...No, it's still definitely a devil. Aki takes out a cutting board and starts slicing up the fruit.]
You can't have a dog or a devil take your tests for you. That's against the rules.
[Power almost shoots forward, grabbing the fruit straight off the board as she shouts, "'Tis not a single rule in the book that says a dog cannot take a test!" Aki shoves her away and tells her to sit down before he cuts her finger off.]
He can tutor you, but you're the one who has to take the test. [So, if he wants to switch tutors, Denji is free to do so. ...Unless he agrees to it, in which Aki will step in to correct his path.] Once you pick a name, you need to get back to work.
Denji and the devil in his arms share a puzzled look over her yammerings, and deciding that he doesn't want that kind of influence on his devil-pet, he gets up to move into the kitchen. The devil's legs swing helplessly in the air as he's carried. ]
We're competing, remember? Whoever gets him to answer to a name wins a favor! [ When he arrives near Aki, he leans sideways into the kitchen counter, his hip pressing into the edge. ] I'll start — Devilmaru!
[ The stretch of silence is deafening. ]
But then Aki's looking to him for the details of the game. He gets distracted. ]
Uh, figured we'd do something easy to get the hang of like blackjack. Tycoon has more card rules to memorize — [ and Denji doesn't remember them all lmfao ] — and I think your buddy wouldn't like that.
[ He thought about leaving the card rules to Aki, but whatever. It's not hard. He still does a kinda slipshod job explaining it, so Aki may have to clarify some things on the side. ]
…But we don't hafta play exactly by the rules, that'd be boring! Bets don't gotta be about money — you can bet anything, like secrets, cigarettes, and booze. [ Well, that's the sorta stuff he'd see the yakuza use as leverage at times. Strip blackjack is also a thing, but Denji doesn't know that. Otherwise, he'd suggest it. ] We could even go simpler and not use bets at all, but any losers who bust needa take a shot or, like, toilet water. Or something else. Something fun!
[Her best and worst subject really is history. Aki still remembers the essay she wrote about the Sengoku period and how she was actually the one to order Nobunaga kill himself and she only let Hideyoshi defeat her because she was bored and wanted to go home. Despite self inserting herself, Power knew every date and detail with shocking accuracy.]
[But Devilmaru... Really? Aki frowns at him and waits to see if the devil even responds. Which of course it doesn't.]
I told you, shorter is better. You can't just call a devil "Devil," anyway. [Now that it's this close however, and he can really see how small the thing is, his expression drops a little farther, almost in annoyance.] It's so... little.
[He's still not convinced it can even do anything. Does the chainsaw part even work?]
...Mijime. [His attempt. The devil just pants in Denji's arms. It seems completely unconcerned with Aki.]
[Angel speaks up to point out he doesn't mind rules, he just doesn't want to play. But Aki pushes his cards toward him and he picks them up with a pout, listening to Denji's explanation with the same expression as a scolded child. Aki recognizes the game, but he's more concerned with how Denji even knows how to play, and his choice of bets. Did he just hang around pachinko parlors and seedy gambling joints before...?]
No one is drinking toilet water. [Why is he so gross? Aki sits back and looks at his cards, frowning.] I don't smoke anymore, and you're too young to drink. And he doesn't like alcohol. [So, what, secrets? He doesn't really want to share secrets. Not with these two.] How about... the loser after five games has to clean up the mess in here.
[Angel immediately refuses this and puts his cards down, claiming he'll happily take shots instead despite not enjoying the taste. Aki rolls his eyes as he drinks his beer.]
Then what, embarrassing stories? [That's better than secrets, and he's more careful than either of them so he's not going to lose, anyway. Never mind that Angel doesn't seem to feel any form of embarrassment for anything and even verbalizes that, claiming it's a human emotion. Aki simply looks to Denji to see if he agrees.]
I'm in. Get ready to cough up that blackmail material, suckers.
[ Whichever direction the they decide to go in, clockwise or counter-clockwise, Denji volunteers to go first since the game was his idea. And someone needs to set the tempo. Seeing as they don't have a dealer, at the center of their circle are two cards next to the remaining deck, a three of spades face-up and another facing down.
Even though he already explained how to play, he gives the brief play-by-play for Angel's benefit. Almost brotherly, for how weird he's been behaving around him this entire night — he kinda likes knowing more stuff than another person. Makes him feel all smart even without wearing glasses! Maybe in a different timeline, he could be someone's older sibling. ]
Yeaaah, so, if I decide to reach for another card… [ Which he does. ] That's a hit and it ends my turn. You're pretty much gamblin' that you won't hit the limit when you do that. Who's next?
What the hell kinda name is that?! It's like you're putting a curse on him! Make that your name instead, it fits you way more.
[ Actually, that gives him a brilliant idea. Setting the little devil down on the countertop, which prompts him to immediately press his snout to the edge of the cutting board. Denji bends his knees slightly so that he's eye-level with him. Snaps his fingers a few times to rescue the slices of fruit from the devil's attention. ]
Hey, hey. Look at me. What d'ya think about having this guy's name, huh, boy? Aki! Akiii. You're a cutie, aren't ya, Aki? High-five!
[ Aki did say shorter was better. He's just following his advice here! Behind them, Power upturns her nose. Complains at them that if they're going to be naming the devil after someone, they should call him Inferior Power or Meowy 2.
Unfortunately, those huge eyes only stare back at him — there even appears to be a wrinkle of befuddlement in his expression, his head tilting one way and then the next. Denji does not receive a high-five. ]
'Kay. [He takes a card from the pile, turning it around before he realizes it can't be upside down based on the pattern. Funny how that works. Aki goes next, also drawing a card, though his expression doesn't reveal whether he's gotten something good or not. And regardless of Denji's move, Angel draws another without any pause, causing Aki to speak up - "You can't just draw without thinking, you need to be strategic about it."]
But I want to lose.
["If you lose, you have to tell an embarrassing story about yourself."]
I don't have anything like that, so if I lose, I get to not do anything.
[Aki stares at him, lips drawn thin. He doesn't draw a card, looking toward Denji for his turn, instead. Forget the annoying devil.]
[The devil is too close to his cutting board. Aki pulls it away from him, scooping the cut-up strawberries into a small bowl instead. But with Power saying her own suggestions, Aki is worried they're getting off track.]
It's too confusing if he shares a name with someone. [He really is dog-like, though. It's kind of strange. It's hard not to think of dog names for him, so he starts listing some off.] There are a lot of dog names, just pick something shorter, like... Maru, Mugi, Pochi, Hachi, Hana... [He trails off with a frown.] You'll need to call him sometimes, right? You don't want something that's too long to call. And it should be easy to write, too. [Denji's handwriting is still shit. It'll have to be in kana.]
Or Chen. For Chainsaw.
[That sounds the least dog-like, though. Even the devil doesn't seem responsive to it.]
Open up any textbook account of where devils derive their strength, and it'll tell you the same thing: A name is a powerful weapon. Though Denji may not pay attention in class unless the teacher's flicking chalk at his forehead, he knows this much about devils. Not only is their name the culmination of human fear, but it's the vehicle for how they spread their acclaim. And that's probably a significant thing for devils. That self-identity through fear is their only assurance that they're alive, that they're meant to exist, right? He'd feel bad totally erasing the devil's connection to that, so maybe Chen really is the way to go…
The thing is that, for humans, names are oftentimes more of an embodiment of someone else's affection. Not their fear. ]
Chen, Mugi, and Pochi… [ Denji repeats his favorites from Aki's list, watching the chainsaw-dog for any reaction, just in case he didn't hear them clearly earlier. No hopping or barking — Denji's shoulders with a heavy sigh, and seeming to sense his disappointment, the devil paws at the air. Noticing the movement, Denji reaches over and the devil's paw taps at his knuckles. Like a pat. Okay, so what does that mean? To keep going?
After one long moment staring at him: ] Hey, have either of you heard of those Makita chainsaws?
[ Digging out his phone, Denji pulls up a picture to show Aki and Power. ]
It kinda looks like him. He's still a dog, so it doesn't feel right to just call him Makita, but maybe somethin' else… [ A pause. ] Mugita? [ Another pause. ] Chenta? [ And another one. ] Pochita…?
[ Or at least tell them why he was asking that weird question earlier. It's still bothering Denji, just a little, and the expression on his face definitely says that he isn't above physically prying those lips of Angel's loose by force if he has to. ]
I mean, even Mister Straight-Laced here is playin' along. [ Briefly, he shifts his gaze toward Aki's current hand, studying the card for a moment. ] And being a buzzkill is his whole thing.
[ He hits again before overturning the face down dealer's card, then flipping two more from the deck. Revealed altogether, the dealer has a hand of 18. So does Denji, as it happens, which he smugly flips over in quick succession. Basically, he's safe this round. Now what about the other two? ]
[Aki reveals his hand after Denji does, scoring a fifteen - below both Denji and the dealer, so he isn't winning anything, but when Angel reveals he has a thirty - three tens, somehow - Aki snaps, "How the hell do you score a thirty in blackjack?!" and Angel shrugs his shoulders. If he hadn't hit that third time, he would have won - but he doesn't even think about that, for once actually putting effort into something. Something he did that he feels bad about, and wouldn't otherwise share...]
[...Well. Given the company he's in, maybe he can share this story. He pushes the cards forward to give them back to Denji.]
Umm... Back when Makima found me, and she brought me here, we had to take a plane. [He was on an island, after all, though he doesn't bother explaining this.] And we stopped somewhere and had to get on a different plane, and right before that she brought me some food. So I was eating it, but there was more food on the table, so I grabbed some of that, too. But I guess that was what she got just for herself. And she didn't get mad at me, but I felt kind of bad about it when she told me.
[He didn't really feel ashamed or embarrassed, mostly confused. He thought sharing food was normal. Especially for humans. Though he couldn't say why he thought that.]
[He looks at Aki, who looks... vaguely annoyed (he got to travel with Miss Makima...??).] Does that work? [And Aki mutters that that's fine, adding he needs to actually try to win a round this time.]
[He has to admit, this thing does look a lot like that. Aki hums in agreement that they can't just call him Makita, that would be copyright infringement. "Mugita" doesn't sound right, nor does "Chenta" - it doesn't sound like a dog name at all. "Pochita" is...]
He kind of makes a pochi sound. [He's walking across the kitchen counter as they speak, sniffing different things. If he was in a comic book, maybe the sound of his feet would be pochi.] Mugita sounds too much like mugicha. Though... The color kind of matches...
[In a vague sense, anyway. Now he wants some tea. Power speaks up and says "Pochita" is the one that sounds closest to her own name, so that must mean it's good. Aki isn't sure how that math works out, however. The devil doesn't seem that interested in the name debate, anyway.]
You want to go with Pochita?
[ Surprisingly, he appears more thoughtful than envious, more curious than annoyed by how Angel's playing the game, how the story he supplies them doesn't quite fit what he had in mind. Maybe it has to do with how similar Angel's travels sound to his own: When Makima found him, she shared a meal with him, too. Held him, fed him, gave him the trench coat off her back. Being so caring and kindhearted, obviously, she wouldn't mind sharing food with another devil. So weird to think that he'd ever considered running away from someone like that. Someone shimmering with so much goodness inside and out, he's sure that if anyone cracked her open, the only thing that would bleed out is endless light.
Anyway, he'll give Angel a pass this time. He likes being reminded of Makima. Thinking about her always puts him in a better mood. ]
Man, I wanna ride a plane someday… [ Denji begins dealing them in again. The dealer's hand this time showing a nine of diamonds. ] Heard grub tastes better when you're all high up. Eh, but Enoshima only takes a train ride to get to from Tokyo, doesn't it…
[ Once the deck returns to the middle, he reaches over to pluck a bag of chips from the stack of snacks. ]
What kinda place were you at that you had to take an airplane?
They're always fighting, which, perhaps, is his fault, but it'd be nice if things stayed like this for a while longer. All of them talking about nothing in particular. ]
…Are you sure? If he answers to that, I'm gonna win. That means you lose. And remember what's s'posed to happen when you lose?
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